Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and apparatus for inputting information about a device interworking with a second device when the devices interwork with each other for short-range communication.
To meet the demand for wireless data traffic having increased since deployment of 4G (4th-Generation) communication systems, efforts have been made to develop an improved 5G (5th-Generation) or pre-5G communication system. Therefore, the 5G or pre-5G communication system is also called a ‘Beyond 4G Network’ or a ‘Post LTE System’. The 5G communication system is considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 60 GHz bands, so as to accomplish higher data rates. To decrease propagation loss of the radio waves and increase the transmission distance, the beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, an analog beam forming, large scale antenna techniques are discussed in 5G communication systems. In addition, in 5G communication systems, development for system network improvement is under way based on advanced small cells, cloud Radio Access Networks (RANs), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP), reception-end interference cancellation and the like. In the 5G system, Hybrid FSK and QAM Modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) as an advanced coding modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as an advanced access technology have been developed.
The Internet, which is a human centered connectivity network where humans generate and consume information, is now evolving to the Internet of Things (IoT) where distributed entities, such as things, exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of Everything (IoE), which is a combination of the IoT technology and the Big Data processing technology through connection with a cloud server, has emerged. As technology elements, such as “sensing technology”, “wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure”, “service interface technology”, and “Security technology” have been demanded for IoT implementation, a sensor network, a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and so forth have been recently researched. Such an IoT environment may provide intelligent Internet technology services that create a new value to human life by collecting and analyzing data generated among connected things. IoT may be applied to a variety of fields including smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected cars, smart grid, health care, smart appliances and advanced medical services through convergence and combination between existing Information Technology (IT) and various industrial applications.
In line with this, various attempts have been made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies such as a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication may be implemented by beamforming, MIMO, and array antennas. Application of a cloud Radio Access Network (RAN) as the above-described Big Data processing technology may also be considered to be as an example of convergence between the 5G technology and the IoT technology.
Smartphones used in recent times basically provide short-range wireless communication which is one of technical standards for data communication within a short range, such as Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Near Field Communication (NFC), and so forth.
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communication network that is available within a short range of about 10 meters (m). Due to its low price and low power consumption compared to other techniques, Bluetooth is basically mounted in most smartphone devices. Bluetooth connects a wireless device such as a headphone, a keyboard, or the like, and/or transmits data. To use Bluetooth for data communication, communication devices are registered with each other through a pairing procedure. In a Bluetooth pairing process, a terminal operating as a master device detects devices that may be paired, selects a device to be paired from among the detected devices, and performs pairing with the selected device.
Wi-Fi, which is frequently used in wireless Internet access of a smartphone, is a data technique for transmitting and receiving radio data using a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). In particular, an Access Point (AP) may be installed at home simply by installing a wireless Internet router, such that wireless communication is possible within a radius of up to 10-20 m. Moreover, Wi-Fi Direct transmits and receives data by wirelessly accessing another device without an AP, and thus is mainly used to exchange data between smart devices supporting Wi-Fi Direct. Because of having a broader transmission radius and a higher speed than Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct may be widely used in various forms such as a wireless printer, a smart TV, a fighting game, and so forth. When a terminal accesses a Wi-Fi AP, the terminal has to input a password or a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of an access-allowed device is registered in the Wi-Fi AP in advance to restrict an access of an unauthorized terminal to the Wi-Fi AP.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a procedure for providing interworking between devices for short-range communication according to conventional art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a distributor 101 creates an identifier, for example, a Quick Response (QR) code, for a new device 103 before delivering the new device 103 to a purchaser (that is, a user) purchasing the new device 103, gives the identifier to the new device 103, sets the new device 103 to an Internet-connectable state for interworking with Cloud 105 provided by a manufacturer or the distributor 101, and then delivers the new device 103 to the purchaser. Once the purchaser having received the new device 103 turns on the new device 103, the new device 103 is connected to the Cloud 105 according to preset information and scans a QR code of the new device 103 using an existing device 107 to interwork with the Cloud 105 of the preset manufacturer or distributor. Thus, the interworking information is transmitted to the existing device 107 and the new device 103 through the Cloud 105, such that the existing device 107 and the new device 103 interwork with each other.
According to the foregoing short-range communication technique, when a new device interworks with another device, a procedure for device registration has to be performed. That is, for Wi-Fi communication that allows an access of a device having a registered MAC address, a MAC address of the new device has to be registered in a Wi-Fi AP. In addition, a smart light bulb, a smart toothbrush, and so forth, which are capable of interworking with a smart device, has been developed and widely spread, and these devices do not include an input/output unit. As a result, in connection to the Wi-Fi AP, if authentication based on input of a password is required, the input of the password may not be easy to perform. Thus, an additional technique such as NFC is used, but mounting an NFC device used only for installation may increase unit cost. Moreover, in Bluetooth pairing, if there are many nearby devices participating in short-range communication, such as Bluetooth beacon, a smart light bulb, and the like, then many devices may be detected, making it difficult to identify a device for which pairing is to be attempted.
When a QR code is scanned using an existing device for interworking with a new device, the existing device needs to scan a QR code for the new device and thus a device for scanning the QR code, such as a camera, is also needed. Moreover, Internet connection for identifying the QR code and interworking the QR code with an external interpreter is also needed. As a result, interworking with a device that is incapable of Internet connection or does not have a camera mounted thereon is difficult to achieve. In practice, many Internet of Things (IoT) devices have low-power local network connectivity which has no direct external Internet connectivity like Bluetooth.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.